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Did you know the the first New Year’s Eve Ball, made of iron and wood and adorned with one hundred 25-watt light bulbs, was 5 feet in diameter and weighed 700 pounds?

Did you know for Times Square 2000, the millennium celebration at the Crossroads of the World, the New Year’s Eve Ball was completely redesigned by Waterford Crystal and Philips Lighting?

Did you know that a raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top? (You gotta try this)

To many Americans, the ball dropping at Times Square in New York City signals the start of the New Year in this country. New Year’s Eve is also the perfect time to play some fun games together. Play games that can help teach your kids about counting, earning and saving money. Swap out items in the games for coin/cash amounts and let your grade-schooler unleash their inner mogul, then take a trip to the bank and let them open a Junior Savings account to deposit into one they already have!

Here are some fun ideas of activities to play with your friends and

family! Enjoy!

1. Guessing the resolutions
Make each of your guests write down resolutions, each on its own slip of paper. Pull one slip of paper out of a basket at a time and read it out loud. Everyone has to write down who they think made each resolution. At the end of the readings, the person who guessed the most correctly wins a prize. Read some of the wrong guesses out loud for fun!2. 2 resolutions and one fib
Have everyone tell the group 2 of their real resolutions and 1 fake resolution. Everyone has to guess which the fake resolution is.3. New Year’s Eve Scramble
Write a bunch of different words on a piece of paper that have to do with New Year’s Eve and scramble the letters. The person who guesses the most words correctly wins a prize.4. Word guessing
Write down 100 words on index cards such as stare, grin, blink, giggle, laugh, plate, shoelace, thread or any word you like.
Stack the cards and put them in the center of the room. Divide the players into 2 teams and seat them opposite each other. Set the timer or stopwatch for one minute. Have the first player from Team One draw a card from the pile and give clues to the word to his/her teammates before the timer ends the play.
So, if the word is “laugh”, the team member might say, “What you do if someone tells you a joke?” Players from
Team One try to guess the word; if they are successful before the time is up, they get a point. If the timer runs out and the word is not guessed, the other team gets a bonus point. Take turns until all the cards are exhausted, and then add up points to see who wins.5. Fun photos
Take the picture of each of your guests with the digital camera. Have them make a funny face and be sure to tell them there is a prize for the best face. After all the pictures have been taken, download them to your computer or laptop and ask everyone to gather around the monitor. The winner will be judged on the greatest laughter.6. Celebrity hunt
Everyone writes the name of a celebrity, famous person or character on a piece of paper and then they stick to the forehead of the player on their left (use tape or office Post-It notes). Make sure they don’t see the name. Now the game starts. Everyone else can see your forehead. The objective is to work out who you are. Going around the table, each payer takes a turn to ask the party questions about who they are – answers can be YES or NO only. If you get a YES you may continue asking, if you get a NO play moves on to the left. Last person to guess their name is the loser.7. Naming of Candy
For this you need: About 6 different candies that have given names like M&M’s, Crunch, Wrigley’s, etc. 1 Die (or 2 dice if the crowd is very large) Everyone is seated on the floor in a circle. Packaged candy bars or candy are placed in the middle of the circle. The game starts by everyone saying their own name. If you already know each other, makeup an animal name or famous person name or something to make it harder. The leader then makes sure that everyone knows what candy is in the middle. Someone begins by rolling the dice. If they roll a 6, they can take one of the candies in the middle. The die continues to go quickly around the circle while people keep picking up candy. When all of the candies are taken, people then can get other people’s candy. In order to get their candy, they must state the person’s first name and the name of the candy they hold. The person who rolls a 6 and matches the name of the candy and the person takes the other’s candy. If they forget either name, they miss their turn and the dice goes to the next person and they continue to roll. (One person can get more than one candy and people can hide the candy behind their back). This is a great way of getting to know people’s name and how to get your favorite candies!8. Have a huge indoor treasure hunt with clues
The kids will have a blast following the clues to get their treasure. If it is warm where you live, send them outside for parts of it.9. Create your own time capsule
Put anything you want to remember along with your resolutions in a container and then hide it till next year.10. Necklaces made of yarn
The players try to win as many yarn necklaces as they can. He/she who has the most at the end wins a prize. Give each player a necklace. The idea is to get the other players to say “No”. Try to make your friends say, “No”. If your friend says it, then you get their necklace. This game is played during the entire party.11. Word game
Whoever creates the most words out of the letters in Happy New Year, wins!12. Guess how many in objects in a jar
Fill a clear glass or plastic jar (with a secure lid) with a known quantity (yes, you have to count them!) of candy, marbles, pennies, tiny toy cars or some other item that ties in with the theme of your party. Decorate the jar and lid with stickers and a bow and place on the arrival activity table. Provide slips of paper for guests to write their names and their “guess” and a small basket or box to collect the entries. At the end of the party award the jar of goodies or money to the child with the closest guess.13. Scavenger hunt
Some ideas: a party hat, streamers, noise makers, plastic champagne glass, a clock, Happy New Year card, Happy New Year balloon, drink stirrers, coasters, chocolate coins, a calendar, or silver bells to ring in the New Year.14. Match the country with how they say, “Happy New Year”.

Board games are a great go-to when families are looking for a rainy day activity. But they can do much more than provide your family with a night of entertainment. In fact, while your kids are having fun, they could be learning important financial lessons without even realizing it. Looking for a game that’ll show your child money doesn’t grow on trees? Check out these seven games designed to teach your kids about money management and the value of a dollar.

1. Cashflow 101
This game’s financial lessons include teaching players how to take charge of their personal finances, understand cash flow and learn about the importance of investing. Cashflow 101 delves into some of finance’s more complicated topics, so play

this with kids ages 14 and older.
There’s also Cashflow for Kids, which can be played by kids as young as 6 years old. What can you expect your kids to learn while playing this game? They’ll start to learn about the basics of investing, the difference between assets and liabilities, the importance of understanding a financial statement, basic personal accounting, and advanced investment techniques, including real estate investment strategies and short-selling stocks.

2. Monopoly
The ultimate Monopoly goal is to accumulate properties and become the richest player. How do you get to that point? Similar to real life, you can only win if you invest right, budget and spend smart.
This game teaches kids about investments, emphasizing investments earn income. In order to win, players must spend money on a property. As the game progresses, they witness that property generating income, allowing them to continue purchasing more properties. It also forces them to plan. They can’t spend all of their money on properties, because they can easily land on a spot that requires they pay taxes or some other expense. It’s a great way to start instilling in your kids the importance of an emergency fund.

3. The Allowance Game
The Allowance Game by Lakeshore Learning Materials teaches kids the basics of counting, earning, and spending money, according to Answers.com. It’s designed for kids between the ages of 5 and 10. As the kids play, they’re able to earn money when they land on spaces that say “mow the lawn” or “walk the dog.”
It then teaches responsibility with scenarios such as “I forgot to do my homework,” which causes the player to lose a turn. It also teaches kids just how quickly their hard-earned money can go when they’re forced to spend some of it buying a gift or paying for an overdue library book.

4. The Game of Life
If you think your kids need a lesson in real life finances, this game will educate them on the various expenses that pop up throughout life. Players witness life’s expenses first hand as the game walks them through major life events such as going to college, getting married, having kids, working, and retirement.
This is a great way to teach kids about the importance of planning for the future. At every turn, the board game forces players to make decisions that directly impact their route and the outcome of the game. For example, at the beginning of the game, players can choose between taking the business route or going to college. Kids are then forced to weigh the pros, cons, and long-term impacts of each choice.
There are also many opportunities to discuss insurance throughout the game. Your child will have to choose whether they want auto, fire, and life insurance. Have them carefully consider the benefits and risks of each while playing, using it as an opportunity to educate them on insurance.

5. Millionaire Maker Board Game
For kids 10 and up, this game teaches kids (and adults) about real world wealth-building skills. This game boasts it can make players a millionaire in three to five years.You don’t need to play it in hopes your child will become rich overnight, but you can use it to teach them about being an entrepreneur and making sound financial decisions.
The game describes itself as an opportunity to live as the wealthy do. According to its description, “You can kiss your W-2 job goodbye and live the life you want to live, not have to live. Model your dream business after a successful mentor’s. Buy a six-unit apartment building. Purchase a share of an oil well. Get sued by a disgruntled employee. Like real life for an entrepreneur, the game is filled with opportunities and challenges.”

6. Payday
This is a great way to teach your kids the low-down on budgeting and monthly expenses. The board is set up like a 31-day calendar, and players move around it, all while dealing with loan payments, bills, unexpected expenses, cash windfalls, and other financial issues that pop up on any given month.
Made for kids ages 8 and older, this game can be played for as many “months” as you’d like. The player with the highest net worth wins. While playing, kids begin to understand the importance of evaluating cash flow, totaling expenses, making payments, budgeting, and the importance of establishing an emergency fund. Who knows? Maybe after a round or two, you’ll see them budgeting out their weekly allowance.

7. Puerto Rico
For ages 12 and up, the goal is to collect the most assets before the island runs out of workers, the capital is civilized, or the market has geared up to full capacity. The game is set up so each player is a capitalist on the island nation of Puerto Rico, back when it was first discovered by Europeans.
What will your child learn? First, they’ll begin to understand that a successful business always has some cash on hand. In order to develop the city, you have to invest. But if you invest in everything, there are sure to be some failures along the way. It’s their job to figure out if an investment is worth the risk, while ensuring they still have some back-up cash.
This game also teaches players that a successful business invests in itself at the right time. For example, early in the game you may need buildings that will support farms. But later on, you may need to purchase buildings that will serve an entirely different purpose. Basically, it teaches everyone how to manage changes in the marketplace. Through it all, your child will gain a sense of what it takes to get a full economy up and running.

Teaching your children how to save is an important step to prepare them for financial responsibility and a secure future. But it won’t go very far if you don’t “practice what you preach” and save for the future yourself.

Whether we like it or not, most of us take after our parents and emulate the habits we observed in them during childhood. In other words, you need to act how you want your children to act when they grow up.

Plus, the earlier you start teaching your children to save money, the better off they’ll be. Even toddlers can do it, but you have to teach this concept in a way they’ll understand. Then, as your children grow, you can introduce more sophisticated saving strategies.

The most important thing at the beginning is to make saving fun.

The Chemistry of Paper Money
Paper banknotes are made from a special paper, which is very dense, making it stronger and more flexible compared to regular paper. In certain cases the banknote paper is a mix of special paper with linen or various other textile fibers. Paper money change hand thousands of times, during their life cycle, which requires them to be produced of much stronger and lasting material.

So, how does the chemistry fit in into the paper banknotes producing picture? Banknote paper is usually infused with gelatin or polyvinyl alcohol in order to make it stronger. Two distinctive features of paper banknotes are the thread and the watermark. The thread is a security feature found in most modern banknotes, which is hard to reproduce due to its complicated structure (it usually consists of metallic, fluorescent and magnetic components). Another security feature paper money have is the watermark, which is an image incorporated in the banknote paper, usually during the paper molding process.

Chemistry plays important role in increasing the durability of paper banknotes, ultimately increasing their useful life. For example dirt attaching to the banknotes has always been a problem, that’s why banknote producers have developed paper with a very thin layer on the surface, which keeps away dirt. Banknote manufacturers also work on improving the banknote paper mechanical stability, mixing natural and synthetic fibers in the banknote paper, making the ultimate product much more durable.

Although in a modern banking world the amount of digital financial transactions like money transfers and debit cards overwhelm the transactions done with banknotes, we still need and use paper money in everyday life.

• The first erasers were actually pieces of bread. In 1735, the French scientist Charles de la Condamine discovered a milky fluid that was produced under the bark of the (Hevea brasilienesis) Rubber Tree.
That milky fluid is latex, and latex is the most important raw material in the Rubber Eraser. In 1862, Faber Pencil Co.in New York made a pencil with the Rubber Eraser attached.
• The first dollar bill was created in 1862, containing a picture of Salmon P. Chase on the front. Mr. Chase was the Secretary of the Treasury during

Abraham Lincoln's term.The wood pulp from the Rubber Tree (and many other types of trees) is also an important raw material in the Dollar Bill.

"Does Money Grow on Trees?"

As a Smart Parent, you can lead your child through the process of wise budgeting and help them understand the answer to that well known question.
These 5 Smart Parent Tips can help each family to customize this process in a way that fits their lifestyle and values.1. Use the line, “Why do you ask?”
When your child throws you a challenging money question or even what we may think is a silly one like ”Does Money Grow on Trees?” – responding with this line helps you as a Smart Parent to understand where the question came from, and it also gives you more time to figure out your response. Continuously discussing money with your child can teach them valuable lessons about spending, saving and giving.2. Let your child make their own purchasing mistakes.
Even if you think your child is about to waste her money on a toy they soon will tire of, you might want to let them go ahead and buy the item anyway, because it might just teach them a lasting lesson.3. Take your child shopping with you.
Even though it is usually easier to shop solo, bring your child along with you so that they can watch you make choices and seek out discounts.4. Encourage your child to set goals.
Having an item or a goal in mind can help your child learn to delay gratification, and it’s also good practice for saving for big things like a car or college. Lessons as small as packing a lunch over buying lunch can help them achieve this goal.5. Find a piggy bank alternative.
Try using clear plastic bins for saving money instead of piggy banks. Kids can more easily watch their money grow in clear bins, which they can decorate. Have them visit the bank with you when opening their savings account or making deposits. This will give them that much desired feeling of independence.